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Tokyotown heading for Chippendale

Scott Bolles
Scott Bolles

New venture: The operators of Katsu Yachiyo in Surry Hills plan to open at Central Park.
New venture: The operators of Katsu Yachiyo in Surry Hills plan to open at Central Park.Supplied

Sydney already has a Chinatown and Thainatown; now, word on the eat-streets is a Tokyotown food hub is also imminent.

A who's who of Japanese food operators have been approached about opening at Kensington Street, part of the $2 billion redevelopment of Chippendale's Carlton & United Brewery site as Central Park.

A spokesman for Yachiyo, which operates three specialist restaurants in Sydney, confirmed it plans to open at Central Park.

Chicken karage at Sushi Yachiyo, Darlinghurst.
Chicken karage at Sushi Yachiyo, Darlinghurst.Sahlan Hayes
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A North Shore ''Japanese tapas'' restaurant is also keen to join the party, along with the restaurant group that operates Japanese restaurants at Regent Place in the CBD. Hot local design firm Giant is tipped to work on some of the interiors.

While the eating strip will have a sweeping global food brief, including European food, Koji Aoki, a consultant and potential operator on the project, says there'll be a minimum of six Japanese restaurants.

Aoki says inspiration has come from similar start-ups in New York and Los Angeles, where small specialist restaurants mix with bars, food stores and gallery offerings. ''It's like getting lost in Tokyo,'' he says.

Kensington Street should be completed by early 2015.

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Scott BollesScott Bolles writes the weekly Short Black column in Good Food.

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